Cordish recently secured the winning bid for a pending casino project in Petersburg, Virginia, according to a local news report in The Progress-Index. Cordish and BSE proposed a $1.4bn project that would utilize 92 acres off Wagner Road in south Petersburg.
The operator was selected over several other notable companies, including Bally’s Corporation, Penn Entertainment, Rush Street Gaming and the partnership of The Warrenton Group and entertainment company Delaware North.
However, the project must pass a referendum scheduled in November before Cordish would be able to break ground.
Senator Lashrecse Aird shared with local news, “During the reconvened session, the General Assembly took action to move [Senate Bill] 628 forward, which allows Petersburg to be an eligible host city and move towards a referendum on a casino.
“As a result, the city had the responsibility for the next steps which included the selection of an operator, which they have formally now done.”
During the past few years, the question of whether Petersburg would welcome a casino has been answered with a resounding no. The Senate committee struck down attempts to land a casino in Petersburg during both the 2022 and 2023 legislative session.
That changed when Virginia lawmakers recently voted in favor of bringing in a new casino to the city. Legislation passed in both the House of Delegates and in the Senate.
The House voted to adopt a recent bill proposed by Senator Lashrecse Aird by a vote of 78 to 18. Soon after passing it in the House, the Senate voted to approval the bill by a vote of 24 to 16.
According to recent local news reports, this is the second time the Senate has voted on this proposal. Lawmakers passed the bill last month. However, the House added a condition which said that the Senate would need to vote again “at a subsequent regular or special session” during the General Assembly.